Power loaders and loading buckets therefor



y 1959 E. R. CUNNINGHAM, JR 2,885,103

POWER LOADERS AND LOADING BUCKETS THEREFOR Original Filed Jan. 4, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ERNEST R. CUNNINGHAM JR.

AT ToR-NEYs y 1959 E. R. CUNNINGHAM, JR 2,885,103

POWER LOADERS AND LOADING BUCKETS THEREFOR Original Filed Jan. 4, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ERNEST R. CUNNINGHAM JR ATTORNEYS StatesPatentO POWER LOADERS AND LOADING BUCKETS THEREFOR Ernest R. Cunningham,Jr., Libertyville, Ill.

Application November 21, 1957, Serial No. 697,815

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-510) This invention relates generally to improvementsin power loaders and particularly to improvements in buck- 7 An objectof this invention is to provide an improved construction for a loaderbucket whereby the load may be readily ejected therefrom, the structurefor effecting the ejection enabling the use of a bucket of conventionalconfiguration and not having a bottom formed on a circular arc, therebymaking it possible greatly to increase the capacity thereof.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparentfrom a study of the specification following taken with the drawingswhich together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicingthe principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to thosehaving the benefit of the teachings here in, and such other embodimentsare intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope andspirit of the subjoined claims.

In the drawings:

Fig- 1 is a side view of a power loader having the improvementsaccording to the present invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale taken along the line 22looking in the direction of the arrows, showing details of a yokeconnection between the boom and link of such loader;

Fig. 3 is a back elevational view to an enlarged scale of the bucket ofthe loader seen in Fig. 1, showing details of the construction thereof;and

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

. Referring now particularly to Fig. l of the drawings, the invention isembodied in a power loader indicated generally by the reference numeral10. Said loader includes a frame 11 mounted for movement upon tractivewheels 12 and 13. The precise details of the prime mover for the loader10, and the tractive mechanism therefor forms no part of the presentinvention and accordingly is not described in further detail.

The loader 10 includes a pair of laterally spaced booms 14 which arepivotally connected at 16 to the frame 11. A power cylinder 17 forraising and lowering each boom 14 is pivotally connected at 18 to eachside of the frame 11, and has a piston 19 therein pivotally connected'at 21 to a bracket 15 at the underside of the boom 14. As seen in Fig.1, the boom 14 extends forward of the loader 10 and downward to theground surface when the piston rod 19 is retracted within the cylinder17;

A loader bucket indicated generally by the reference numeral 20 has abottom 22 and a back wall 23 which are joined together by a curvedportion 24. Laterally spaced end walls 26 and 27 are welded to the backwall 23,'the curved portion 24 and the bottom 22. Spaced pairs of gussetplates 28 and 29 extend from the outside Patented May 1959 2 of the backwall 23 and the curved portion 24, and provide a pivotal connection at31 thereon for the forward end of the boom 16. v

A link 32 extending in parallel relationship to the boom 14 is pivotallyconnected at 33 to the frame 11 at a point above the pivotal connection16 for the boom 14. The other end of link 32 is pivotally connected at34 substantially midway of a yoke 36, see also Fig. 2, in turn pivotallyconnected at 37 to the boom 14.

Power means including a cylinder 38 pivotally connected at its upper end39 to the upper end of the yoke 36 has a piston rod 41 movable thereinpivotally connected at 42 to the spaced gusset plates 28 and 29 at apoint spaced from the pivotal connection 31 for the boom 14 thereto. Asseen in Fig. 2, the boom 14 and the link 32 are disposed in differentplanes, so that the boom 14 and the link 32 can clear each other as seenin the dotted line. position of the loader 10 shown in connection withFig. 1.

- It will be seen that the action of the cylinder 17 is to lift the boom14 together with the bucket 20, while the cylinder 38 and its piston rod41 move the bucket 20 relative to the boom 14 for loading and unloadingof the bucket.

Means are provided for ejecting the load from the bucket 20, and to thisend the bucket 20 is provided with an ejector blade 43 spanningsubstantially the'distance between the spaced end walls 26 and 27. Theejector blade 43 is stiffened by spaced pairs of ribs 44 and 46 on theback side thereof and by additional stiffener ribs 47 and 48 disposedbetween the spaced pairs of stiffener ribs 44 and 46. The ejectorblade43 has a contour 49 at-the bottomthereof corresponding to the contour ofthe curved portion 24, and the ejector blade 43 is moved from theposition A in close proximity to the rear wall 23 through a position Bto a position C where the contents of the bucket 20 are discharged.

Means are provided for moving the ejector blade 43 through the severalpositionsbetween the position And the discharge position C, and to thisend there is provided a cylinder 51 pivotally connected to a pin 52havmg one end thereof mounted in the gusset plate 28 and its other endin a bracket 53 extending from the rear of the curved portion 24 as seenin Fig. 4. The cylinder 51 has a piston rod 54 movable therein which ispivotally connected by a pin 56 at an eye 57 formed in the top of thespaced 'stilfening ribs 44 and 46, see also Fig. 3.

Each of the stiffener ribs 44, 46, 47 and 48 has a cam profile 58 asseen in Fig. 4 which together with the front surface 59 of the ejectorblade 49 cooperate respectively with spaced rollers 61 and 62 as theblade 43 moved be-' tween positions A and C. Roller 61 is arranged toturn on a dead shaft 63 welded at its ends 64 to the spaced end walls26-and 27 and behind the rear wall 23; The center of the shaft 63 isalso welded to a lug 66 in turn welded behind the rear wall 23. Theother roller 62 is mounted freely upon a dead shaft 67 which is weldedat its ends'68 to the respective end walls 26 and 27, and at the topthereof as seen in Fig. 4. 3

The two rollers 61 and '62 operate to constrain the movement of theejector blade 43 so that the lower end of the ejector blade will followthe curved portion 24 and the bottom 22 of the bucket 20 in moving fromposition A seen in Fig. 4 through position B to position C. During suchmovement the piston rod 54 telescopes within the cylinder 51, and viceversa, the stiffening ribs 44, 46, '47 and 48 having their surfaces 58and 59 in engagement with the rollers 61 and 62 during such movement.

In position C of the ejector blade 43 the bucket 20 can effectivelyoperate as a dozer attachmentfor the power loader 10.

The bottom 22 of the bucket 20 is provided with a forward cutting edge69 which has an upper surface 71 substantially in the plane of thebottom 22, with a bevel surface 72 as seen in Fig. 4. The configurationof the cutting edge 69 is effective at all times during the crowdingmovement of the loader in a generally horizontal direction so that therewill be a component or thrust to provide a small amount of liftingthrust against the bucket 20, at least effective to prevent any tendencyof the bucket to dig in a direction from the horizontal line of thrust.The thrust against the surface 72 of the cutting edge 69 also reducesthe frictional drag of the bottom 22.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferredembodiment thereof its scope is intended to be limited only by theclaims here appended.

I claim as my invention:

r 1. In a power loader, a frame, a boom pivotally mounted to said frame,a link pivotally mounted to said frame, a bucket pivotally connected tosaid boom adjacent the end thereof rcmotefrom its pivotal connection tosaid frame, said bucket having a bottom and a back wall with a curvedportion connecting said bottom and back wall, and a pair of end walls,power means interposed between said link and said bucket for pivotingsaid bucket relative to said boom, an ejector blade spanningsubstantiallythe distance between said end walls for discharging thecontents of said bucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from aposition adjacent said back wall to a position where the contents ofsaid bucket are discharged while following the contours of said curvedportion and said bottom comprising a pair of camming surfaces on saidejector blade, a pair ofrollers on said bucket having said cammingsurfaces therebetween for constraining the movement of said ejectorblade to a prescribed path, and a fluid operator mounted on said backwallof said bucket for moving said ejector blade consisting of acylinder and piston movable to positions relative to each other inaccordance with the position of said ejector blade.

2. In a power loader, a frame, a boom pivotally mounted to said frame, alink pivotally mounted to said frame, a bucket pivotally connected tosaid-boom adjacent the end thereof remote from its pivotal connection tosaid frame, said bucket having a bottom and a back wall with a curvedportion connecting said bottom and back wall, a pair of end walls, powermeans interposed between said link and said bucket for pivoting saidbucket relative to card boom, an ejector blade spanning substantiallythe distance between said end walls for discharging the contents of saidbucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to a positron where thecontcnts of said bucket aredischarged while following the contours of said curvedportion and a saidbottom comprising a pair ofcamming surfaces on said ejector blade, apair of guides on said bucket and cooperating with said camming surfacesfor constraining the movement of said ejector blade to a prescribedpath, and power means mounted on the back wall of said bucket for movingsaid ejector blade while being constrained between said guides.

3. In a power loader, a frame, a boom pivotally mounteditosaid framepalink pivotally mounted to said frame,a bucket pivotally connected tosaid boom adjacent the endthereof-remotefrom its pivotal connection tosaid frame, said bucket having abottom and a back wall with a curvedportienconnectingsaid bottom and back wall, a pairof end walls, powermeans interposed between said link and said bucket for pivoting saidbucket relative to said boom, anejector blade spanning; substantially.the distance between said end walls fordischarging the contents ofbucket,,and meansfor moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to aposition 4 ejector blade, means on said bucket andcooperating with said camming surfaces for constraining the movement ofsaid ejector blade to a prescribed path, and power means mounted on saidbucket for moving said ejector blade.

4. In a power loader, a frame, a boom pivotally mounted to said frame, alink pivotally mounted to said frame, a bucket pivotally connected tosaid boom adjacent the end thereof remote from its pivotal connection tosaid frame, said bucket having a bottom and a back wall with a curvedportion connecting said bottom and back wall, a pairof end walls, powermeans interposed between said link and said bucket for pivoting saidbucket relative to said boom, an ejector blade spanning substantiallythe distance between said end walls for discharging the contents of saidbucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to a position where the contents of said bucket aredischarged while following the contours of said curved portion and saidbottom comprising a cam fixed to said ejector blade, means on saidbucket and cooperating with said cam for constraining the movement orsaid ejector blade to a pref scribed path, and power means mounted onsaid bucket for moving said ejector blade.

5. An ejector bucket for a power loader comprising a bottom and a backwall with a curved portion connecting said bottom and back wall, a pairof spaced end walls, an ejector blade spanning substantially thedistance between said end walls for discharging the contents of saidbucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to a position where the contents of said bucket aredischarged while following the contours of said curved portion and saidbottom comprising a pair of spaced camming surfaces on said ejectorblade, means on said bucket comprising a pair of spaced guides havingsaidspaced camming surfaces therebetween for constrain ing the movementof said ejector blade to the aforesaid path, and a fluid operatormounted on the back wall of said bucket for moving said ejector blade,said fluid operator consisting of a cylinder and piston connectedbetween said bucket and said ejector blade and movable to positionsrelative to each other in accordance with the position of said ejectorblade.

6. An ejector bucket for a power loader comprising a bottom and a backwall with a curved portion connecting said bottom and back wall, a pairof spaced end walls, an ejector blade spanning substantially thedistance between said end walls for discharging the contents of saidbucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to a position where the contents of said bucket aredischarged while following the contours of said curved portion and saidbottom comprising a pair of camming surfaces on said ejector blade, apair of spaced guides on said bucket and cooperating with said cammingsurfaces for constraining the movement of said ejector blade to theaforesaid path, and power means mounted on said bucket for moving saidejector blade.

7. An ejector bucket for a power loader comprising a bottom and a backwall with a curved portion connecting said bottom and back wall, a pairof spaced end walls, an ejector blade spanning substantially thedistance between said end walls for discharging the contents of saidbucket, and means for moving said ejector blade from a position adjacentsaid back wall to a position where the contents where the contents ofsaid bucket are discharged while followingthecontours of said portionsaid a pair of camming surfaces on said whjwmhnmlmbumlmlm Mammals-Muslimof said bucket are discharged while following the contours of saidcurved portion and said bottom comprising apair of camming surfaces onsaid cjectorblade, meanson said bucket and cooperating with said cammingsurfaces for constraining the movement of said ejectorblade to theaforesaid path, and power means mounted on said bucket for moving saidejector blade. r d

8. An ejector bucket for a power loader comprising a bottom and abackwall with a curved portion connecting said bottom and back wall, apairof spaced end walls, an

ejector blade spanning substantially the distance between said end wallsfor discharging the contents of said bucket, and means for moving saidejector blade from a position adjacent said back wall to a positionwhere the contents of said bucket are discharged while following thecontours of said curved portion and said bottom comprising a pair ofcamming surfaces on said ejector blade, means on said bucket andcooperating with said carnming surfaces for constraining the movement ofsaid ejector blade to the aforesaid path, and power means mounted onsaid bucket for moving said ejector blade.

No references cited.

